A good, flavorful sausage would be an excellent alternative. Actually, there are a bunch of variations on this, including a vegan version using about a half-tablespoon of tomato paste (stir it in the hot oil until it melts and begins to darken - be careful, it burns easily) followed by one or two diced fresh or canned tomatoes. Just adjust salt and/or oil levels to suit the ingredients, and adjust the timing so that the sauce finishes first (the sauce always waits for the pasta , never the other way around). Feel free to adjust the garlic and beer levels, too!

What makes it "St. Joseph's" spaghetti are the bread crumbs, said by tradition to represent the carpenter's sawdust.